CANNIBAL MUKBANG (2023)

Streaming on Tubi from Melty Media and WellGo USA!
Directed/Written by Aimee Kuge.
Check out the trailer here!!

A down on his luck schlub named Mark (Nate Wise) meets an eccentric fireball named Ash (April Consalo) in a 7-11 and is immediately smitten with the gal. Ash seems interested back and gives him her number. Soon, a romance blossoms and Mark thinks everything is hunky dorey. But soon understands that Ash has a rather complex job. She’s a mukbanger, which I had heard of, but never seen in action. Basically, Ash films herself from the lips down eating a large amount of food for the pleasure of her online followers. Strange? You betcha. But Ash has deeper issues as she uses this online presence to lure in real freaks who have been guilty of assault, abuse, and murder, yet have escaped prosecution for one reason or another. Once trapped in Ash’s web, the Johns find out another deep dark secret about Ash. She’s a cannibal vigilante. Now that Mark knows about Ash’s dark hobby, he must either accept it, break things off, or worst-case scenario, become next on the menu.

Much like TOGETHER, though there are some horrifying things going on in CANNIBAL MUKBANG, but it also has equal parts sweetness and a true understanding of what love is. Peel away all of the human eating and vigilantism, and CANNIBAL MUKBANG is basically a story about taking the leap and taking a chance with loving someone, even if that person may not be the best thing for you. It’s a story that oozes with disgusting scenes, but I found myself entranced by this tender relationship between two oddballs. I would liken this film with such cult classics like HAROLD AND MAUDE, or BENNY AND JOON, or even LOST IN TRANSLATION where two mismatched people find some way to connect and fall in love. Now, I do have a cold, black heart, but there were times in this movie where that heart melted a bit. It’s a sweet little movie.

Then again, Ash is a girl with issues. Deep, dark issues. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been in a relationship where they don’t know how they found themselves there with a person who is definitely bad news. Still, being the man that I am, I must admit. Crazy is hot sometimes. Sure, later you pay for that crazy, but in the moment, one can get caught up in the crazy and think you’re having the time of your life. That’s where we find Ash and Mark as they meet and become enmeshed with one another. Mark is a lonesome guy who seems to have had a bad breakup that has left him broken and lacking confidence. And when he meets Ash, he dives right in, not realizing that there may be issues there for the reason why this eccentric hottie is the way she is. It’s this relatable theme that pulled me into CANNIBAL MUKBANG.

This movie does a great job of capturing the whirlwind of feelings one gets when they meet someone new and the relationship feels full of potential. Through Mark’s eyes, he can’t believe Ash is even acknowledging his existence. Of course, it is because he puts Ash up on a pedestal like this that may spell doom for the relationship. His lack of confidence may be charming at first, but a woman wants a partner, not a worshipper.

If there is a flaw in CANNIBAL MUKBANG it is that Mark is portrayed as such a schlub. I have no shame. I’ll admit it. I’ve been this Mark in the past. Totally smitten with a gal and going down a dark path throwing care to the wind. The results are always bad, but we’ve already established that crazy is hot! But Nate Wise does such a convincing job as the pushover Mark that it makes you wonder what Ash sees in him too. He lacks personality. He goes along with everything she does. He basically has no opinion or say in anything in the relationship. And while this character does exist in real life, it doesn’t make him a likable protagonist or someone fun to follow. So while Wise plays the pushover well, it’s hard to invest in him.

So CANNIBAL MUKBANG becomes a car crash of a movie, where you know this relationship is headed off a cliff, but can’t help but watch and hope that somehow, some way, things might work out. I was hoping and I won’t say if my hopes were answered, but from beginning to end, there is this feeling of dread hanging in the air. In many ways, this is a vampire-like story where someone is turned into a vampire and must learn the ropes of this new role. I liked the way cannibalism is treated almost as a supernatural disease that awakens a hunger inside that, once human flesh is tasted, nothing but that same kind of flesh can satisfy. A lot of time passes in this movie, allowing for a lot of development, and regression to occur between these two characters. So, we see Mark get addicted to this lifestyle, then try to quit, only to be pulled back in.

This is a low budget horror that is heavy on the quirky romance, but you’d better believe things get goppy as Mark and Ash feed each other human parts and then having sex with one another. It romanticizes the gore, but still, all of that blood and fluids have got to get sticky. The practical effects used and the way the fluids are splattered and smeared around really gives CANNIBAL MUKBANG a tactile feel, which only makes it all the more disturbing.

So while Mark’s character is played too much as a pushover, CANNIBAL MUKBANG was a sweet little gorefest that I found myself deeply endeared with. If you’re willing to open your heart and have a cast iron stomach, I recommend you to fall in love all over again with CANNIBAL MUKBANG.